Friands are small French-style cakes or muffins flavoured with ground almonds, that give them dense and rich texture.
The recipe is adapted from Everyday Easy Cakes and Cupcakes by DK.
Ingredients:
50 g caster sugar (or 100 g icing sugar)
45 g plain flour
75 g ground almonds
3 large egg whites
75 g unsalted butter
150 g mixed fresh berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries
Method:
Melt the butter over a low heat, leave to cool until just warm.
Sift the sugar and flour into a bowl, then stir in the ground almonds.
In a separate clean, dry glass or metal bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
Gently fold them into the flour mixture with the melted butter, to make a smooth batter.
Spoon the batter into 6 regular size muffin cases (I used 4 big 9 cm ones).
Scatter the berries over, pressing them down slightly into the batter so they all fit in.
Bake in a preheated oven (180 C, fan 160 C) for 30 - 35 minutes, or until golden brown and risen.
Leave to cool in the tin, then transfer to a serving plate.
Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!
Bon Appetit!
